Sunday, 1 January 2017

Yoga 2017 - January 2017 Newsletter from Srivatsa Ramaswami

WISH YOU A HAPPY AND PROSPEROUS 2017.

In January 2017 I am scheduled to teach a 50 hr 10 day program on Bhagavatgita for Yoga Practitioners at Yaga Vahini, Chennai starting Jan 2nd. Then I will be teaching a 33 hr Core Vinyasakrama asana and pranayama program by the end of the month at OmYoga in New Delhi.

Yoga 2017

January 1 of every year is Yoga Day for many people. It is a priority in the list of new year resolutions. Some yoga schools encourage many to start yoga by offering introductory yoga classes for free or at an attractive discount. Many people who either left yoga or yoga had left them, restart yoga on this informal yoga day. What about those for whom 'Everyday is Yoga Day?' Can January 1 be a different yoga day?

Many diligent yoga practitioners who faithfully follow a standard routine all along may start looking for more or modifications of the yoga practice. Many practice a standard routine of a few vinyasa sequences and asnans. They may consider slowly introducing a very important aspect of yoga which is acclaimed by both Hatayogis and Rajayogis and that is pranayama. Those who have been practising yogasanas for a period of time say a few years and those who have been teaching for some time the same set of asanas and sequences may consider introducing pranayama into their practice and teaching. In fact Pranayama is a very important part of both Hata yoga and Rajayoga. Pranayama is hatayoga according to some old time experts. While asanas and vinyasas are generally very useful for the skeletal system, pranayama is especially useful for cardiac and pulmonary functions. Specific pranayama have unique benefits. Nadishodhana helps the upper respiratory portion, ujjayi directly helps the trachia and bronchial portions of the respiratory tract, then bhastrika is a robust exercise for the lungs. Kapalabhati helps to improve the tone of the diaphragm and also improves vital capacity. It helps to lower tamas in the system and makes the mind clear and fit for finer aspects of yoga practice. If one is already doing Pranayama with asanas, learning the bandhas and mudras may be considered. They add to improve the functioning of the abdominal and pelvic organs. Pranayama and mudras bring about significant physiological improvements.

If one practices complete hatayoga—asana vinyasas, pranayama and mudras then for the new year one may consider setting foot on antaranga sadhana as described by Patanjali. Choose a simple dharana practice, a mantra, an icon or chakra meditation if you and your teacher are upto to it. A good hatayoga preparation will be helpful in achieving siddhi in antaranga sadhana. Then those who merely practice meditation without hatayoga preparation may learn a few asanas and a good pranayama practice so the system is better equipped for meditation. There is enough to learn in yoga so that one may maintain interest in yoga day, everyday.

May be you would like to get into the theory or philosophy of yoga during the new year. It is a powerful unique philosophy that some find really liberating. Learning the Yoga sutras sutra by sutra could be a very absorbing one in the year of yoga. Learning to chant the sutras could be an additional effort in Yoga Sutra study. After one learns to chant yoga sutra and also learn the meaning of each sutra word by word, it may be a rewarding practice to chant each sutra and contemplate on the meaning of the sutra, as Patanjali says about Japa on pranava. There he suggests chanting “OM” and follow it by contemplating on the meaning of pranava as he himself describes in the sutras. In a similar fashion in Sutra Study, the chanting and contemplation could be an absorbing new Yoga year.

If you have already done all these you may want to study the sibling philosophies especially Samkhya, its text Samkhya Karika. It opens the door for the Yogi to comparative study of all the various sibling vedic philosophies especially vedanta as enunciated by the upanishads, the gita and the brahma sutras. One can start with yoga day, extend it to yoga year and then possibly yoga life

Sri Krishnamacharya was a life long Yogi.
He taught Yoga that would last a lifetime.

A Reminder

from Kalama sutra, translation from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi This blog included.

"So, as I said, Kalamas: 'Don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, "This contemplative is our teacher." When you know for yourselves that, "These qualities are unskillful; these qualities are blameworthy; these qualities are criticized by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to harm & to suffering" — then you should abandon them.' Thus was it said. And in reference to this was it said.

"Now, Kalamas, don't go by reports, by legends, by traditions, by scripture, by logical conjecture, by inference, by analogies, by agreement through pondering views, by probability, or by the thought, 'This contemplative is our teacher.' When you know for yourselves that, 'These qualities are skillful; these qualities are blameless; these qualities are praised by the wise; these qualities, when adopted & carried out, lead to welfare & to happiness' — then you should enter & remain in them. Buddha - Kalama Sutta